OVER A CUP OF COFFEE - JALLIKATTU

OVER A CUP OF COFFEE

JALLIKATTU

Jallikattu is the sport of controlling the bull by its horns.  Now that the jallikattu has been stayed by the Supreme Court by the learned judges, the inhuman treatment of the bulls also will get stopped.  Peace and tranquility will prevail all over Tamilnadu at least on this aspect. Murders of party functionaries, humans, happened a few years hence is yet to be resolved with apprehending the culprits and no action has been taken to bring them to face law of the land.  May be we are more focused on the “inhuman” treatment of animals only as human lives are dispensable. 

Thus thought Shyam and that he was disturbed, without knowing what to do, just contacted Gopu who in turn could find that his friend is quite disturbed that the cultural values of his place are not respected. He called Shyam to his favourite place for a cup of coffee in the evening. Gopu incidentally thought whether the court is worried about the inhuman treatment meted out to the animals while they are alive, by chasing them and made to run hither and thither or that they are worried about these animals getting killed  for food too, even when they are in good health. In that case, someone brings a case to the court that animals with good health should not be killed for food, will the court take it up and do justice and organisations like PETA will be happy?  It does not appear to be so.

That evening, when they sat in the coffee shop the discussions on Jallikattu brought to the fore certain valid points.   Shyam asked, will the Organisations like PETA who want to protect animals, will call for all healthy animals not to be killed, as they have still life left in them. One man wants a little lamb in his table to enjoy and says Mary will be short of one that day. Will any of the persons who consume meat will be ready to take ones from unhealthy animals?  If this results in stopping annihilation of animals from planet earth - The butchers wont be happy. The redmeat exporters wont be happy.
Gopu said that you are not consdiering the treatment that the animals get while getting transported to different destinations of slaughter houses.  It is seen to be believed.  Loaded in a limited space, they could not even move a little and if so, it will be at the expense of the other ones.  Some say, they are made to drink water heavily while sending them to the market for sale.  Then there is the case of skin traders of all animals, where the life is taken out abruptly.  There are laws of the land to punish inhuman treatment but always they are not followed and a few cases while come in the purview of law and others happily continue to do.

Shyam said the main point is a sport followed over years, of course, with loss of human lives in certain cases have been made to bear the brunt where as the majority of people killing the animals for food go scot free. The laws of the land should be adequately amended where the tradition and culture are given the importance. 

Shyam reminded that the coffee is getting cold and a worried Gopu sipped the balance in the cup.  He also wished a very happy pongal/makara sankaranthi to Gopu.  The customary handshake followed with the assurance they will meet again.

OVER A CUP OF COFFEE - cosmetics

Over a cup of coffee

Cosmetics

Consumption and mass consumption has become the central point in a business oriented world. Target the larger population is the mantra. But this has nothing to do with various Asians occupying top positions in MNCs thought  Gopu.  He knew well that the sincerity with which we are giving results for these with cut-throat competition is the deciding factor.

Degrading the various practices followed over centuries (bad??) and pave new ways in simplicity and hygiene and what not – what a service we are doing, Gopu mused.  Sometimes he gets confused too, when some of his friends, in the name of bringing new, sell products, which they pretty much opposed as unhygienic 2 to 3 decades back.  Old wine in a new bottle.  His close friend Shyam always is very critical of this fact and many an argument has taken place between these two.  The friendship between these two is the common interest of faith in the almighty and also school and college mates from Trichy. 

Sometimes Gopu too have doubts about the sincerity of his friends and thought how a toothpaste with red colour was denounced as brick powder and harmful and salt/charcoal/neem should not be used find a new avatar.  Thus the old ones have found a new name and when it comes to items with herbal ingredients practiced in the thickly populated countries, every effort to denounce the old product and neatly packed new ones came into the market.  Have you tried this with the new formula asks the MNC which once it mocked as crude and unhygienic.  In fact, who will go in search of the herb “Keezhanalli” for cure of Jaundice if a new medicine comes in the form of tablets and easy to get in a pharmacy.  But who will also know the side effects, with research coming out with statistics only on how many benefited and of course, awareness has come of late, with everything coming to public domain, with what happens with each of these product. Thanks to the internet.

Even as these thoughts rushed in his mind, Gopu had invited Shyam for an evening chat on coffee shop on a posh Rs.200 a cup, which once used to happen in some café or bhavan or uphar on Rs.10.  Even present day cost in these old ones will not exceed Rs.25.  Shyam did come in time, as he is stickler to time concepts but could not find Gopu.  He did come, a good 30 minutes late, profusely apologizing for the meeting with the boss.  Shyam put the natural question of asking for the delay.  Gopu explained that the discussion with the boss was on how to expand the market for some spray which enhance the power of men to attract women.  Shyam could not control himself and became quite angry hearing this.  Shyam then said to Gopu, we are people who think that women are not just for satisfying men in bed but it is one part of life, that is all.   The whole part of life is explained with dos and donts in our scriptures, clearly bringing out how humanity as a whole can benefit.  A few business interests cannot interfere with our way of life just to make a fortune for them. 
He added see what Steve Job of Apple said from his hospital bed:  Steve Jobs’ Last Words

I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success.  However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to.  At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.  In the darkness, I look at the green lights from the life supporting machines and hear the humming mechanical sounds, I can feel the breath of god of death drawing closer…

Now I know, when we have accumulated sufficient wealth to last our lifetime, we should pursue other matters that are unrelated to wealth…

Should be something that is more important:
Perhaps relationships, perhaps art, perhaps a dream from younger days

Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me.

God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth.  The wealth I have won in my life I cannot bring with me. What I can bring is only the memories precipitated by love.  That’s the true riches which will follow you, accompany you, giving you strength and light to go on.  Love can travel a thousand miles. Life has no limit. Go where you want to go. Reach the height you want to reach. It is all in your heart and in your hands.

What is the most expensive bed in the world? Sick bed…
You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you.

Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – Life.

When a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is one book that he has yet to finish reading – Book of Healthy Life.

Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down.

Further Shyam said, I am not against new products, but for the sake of making money, denouncing the whole way of life by some vested interests is unacceptable.  Gopu had no answer and as he wanted to have one more coffee, asked Shyam too have one more, which Shyam politely declined.   Gopu after finishing his second coffee cup, bid bye to Shyam telling him they will meet again.

பங்காரு திருப்பதி kolar dist of Karnataka

பங்காரு திருப்பதி

                                                        

                                                        கோவில் தீர்த்தம் 

மலை உச்சியில் வேங்கடரமணன் சன்னிதி 

கர்நாடகாவிலுள்ள கோலார் மாவட்டத்தில் அநேக சிறப்பு வாய்ந்த கோவில்கள் உள்ளன.   இதில் பங்காரு திருப்பதி மிகச் சிறப்புவாய்ந்ததாகும்.   இதன் அருகாமையில் தான் கோடிலிங்கம் கோவிலும், மிகத்தொன்மையான குருதுமலே விநாயகர் கோவிலும் உள்ளன.

இக்கோவிலின் தல வரலாறு 
ப்ருஹு  மாமுனிவரின் தரிசனம் சம்பந்தப்பட்டதாகும். இங்கு ப்ருஹு மாமுனிவர் தன் காலில் உள்ள கண்ணின் மூலமாக இறைவனை தரிசித்ததாக ஐதீகம்.   கோலார் - முல்பாகல் செல்லும் வழியில் கோடீஸ்வர் கோவிலில் இருந்து 8/9 km தொலைவில் உள்ளது இந்த திருத்தலம்.   அழகிய குன்றின் மீது அமைந்திருக்கும் இத்திருக்கோவிலில் திரு வெங்கடேஸ்வரனை  ஒரு சிறிய கதவின்  த்வாரங்களின் மூலமாய் பார்க்கலாம்- நேத்ர தரிசனம் என்று பெயர். அளவினில் சிறிதாய் தோன்றும் திரு வேங்கடேஸ்வர விக்ரகம்  அழகு வாய்ந்ததாகும். குன்றின் மீது இருப்பதால் சிறிய வெளிப்பிரஹாரம் கொண்டது. திரு வெங்கடேஸ்வரனை தரிசித்த பிறகு இறங்கும் படிகள் தொடர்ந்து திரு பத்மாவதி தாயாரின் சந்நிதிக்கு செல்கிறது.   ஸ்ரீஹரி இங்கு ஏகாந்த ஸ்ரீனிவாசராக காட்சியளிக்கிறார்.  லட்சுமி, பத்மாவதி தாயாராக இதன் தொடர் மலை குன்றில் காட்சி அளிக்கிறார்.

கோவிலுக்கு முன்வாசலிலுள்ள கருட சிற்பம் இக்கோவிலுக்கு அழகு சேர்க்கிறது.   பங்காரு திருப்பதி கோவில் குட்டஹள்ளி எனும் இடத்தில் உள்ளது.  இது இது பெங்களூரிலிருந்து 100 km/கோலாரிலிருந்து 29 km தூரத்தில் உள்ளது.  

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